Server device, control method for the same and computer-readable recording medium

ABSTRACT

A program which is capable of offering a reward to a user who has registered a simple access means to a predetermined screen is disclosed. The program causes a computer to function as reception means for receiving an access request from a terminal device used by a user; determination means for determining, based on a character string contained in a URL of an access destination of the received access request, whether or not a simple access means to the URL is registered in the terminal device; and offering means for offering a reward to the user who uses the terminal device that performs the access request when the simple access means is determined to be registered.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/331,916, filed Jul. 15, 2014, which claims priority benefit ofJapanese Patent Application No. 2013-148081, filed Jul. 16, 2013,Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-225490, filed Oct. 30, 2013, andJapanese Patent Application No. 2013-272233, filed Dec. 27, 2013, thedisclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entirety byreference.

BACKGROUND

Disclosed herein are a server device, a control method for the same anda computer-readable recording medium.

There are a lot of known techniques for allowing a user to register aURL of user's favorite page during the visit to a web site. For example,JP2000-020536A discloses an internet terminal which generates a bookmarkhaving search results that are classified according to search conditionsof search through a search engine.

SUMMARY

However, in a conventional bookmark function such as the bookmarkmanagement device disclosed in JP2000-020536A, bookmark registrationtends to depend on a user's personal interest or mood. Thus it isdifficult for the WEB site to actively encourage the user to create abookmark for such site. As an approach to user, for example, a web pageprovider arranges a button for adding a bookmark in an eye-catchingposition of the homepage in the hope that it will encourage the user tobookmark the web page. That is, the provider typically employs a kind oftechnique which allows the user to bookmark the page very easily. Atfirst, when such a button was completely new and fresh to the user, theuser used to push the button to add the bookmark. However, since thiskind of method gets obsolete, setting the button is not enough to make auser to register the bookmark.

Embodiments of the invention are made in consideration of the situationas stated above, and aim to provide a program, a control method and asystem for offering a reward to a user who has registered a simpleaccess means to the predetermined screen in order to prompt the user toregister the simple access means such as a bookmark or a shortcut.

An embodiment of the program causes a computer to function as receptionmeans for receiving an access request from a terminal device used by auser; determination means for determining, based on a character stringcontained in a URL of an access destination of the received accessrequest, whether or not a simple access means to the URL is registeredin the terminal device; and offering means for offering a reward to theuser who uses the terminal device that performs the access request whenthe simple access means is determined to be registered.

The “simple access means” comprises a function to access to a specificapplication or certain web contents from a home screen of the terminaldevice. For example, the simple access means include, but are notlimited to a bookmark that registers a URL on the browser, an iconregistered on the home screen and liking to a web clip of thepredetermined URL or to a shortcut to the predetermined URL.

Moreover, the simple access means is preferred to be an icon linking toa shortcut to the URL.

Furthermore, the reward is preferred to be used in a game provided fromthe access destination.

Still furthermore, the offering means is preferred to offer the rewardin response to the number of the simple access means registered in theterminal device.

Still furthermore, the simple access means is preferred to be added onthe home screen of the terminal device.

An embodiment of a control method causes a computer to execute a step ofreceiving an access request from a terminal device used by a user; astep of determining, based on a character string contained in a URL ofan access destination of the received access request, whether or not asimple access means to the URL is registered in the terminal device; anda step of offering a reward to the user who uses the terminal devicethat performs the access request when the simple access means isdetermined to be registered.

In addition, an embodiment provides a system with a reception unit thatreceives an access request from a terminal device used by a user; adetermination unit that determines, based on a character stringcontained in a URL of an access destination of the received accessrequest, whether or not a simple access means to the URL is registeredin the terminal device; and an offering unit that offers a reward to theuser who uses the terminal device that performs the access request whenthe simple access means is determined to be registered.

The “system” comprises a system which is configured of an informationprocessor and the like and provides specific functions to the user. Forexample, the system comprises, but not limited to, a server device, acloud computing system, an application service provider (ASP), a clientserver model, etc.

The program according to embodiments of the invention may be installedor loaded into the computer by being downloading such program fromvarious recording media such as optical discs, e.g., CD-ROM, magneticdiscs or semiconductor memory, or via a communication network.

In the specification, “unit” refers to not only a physical architecture,but also implementation of functions that the architecture has withsoftware. The single function may be implemented by more than twophysical architectures, and also, more than two functions may beimplemented by single physical architecture.

Embodiments of the invention are capable of offering the reward to theuser who has added the predetermined screen to the bookmark, therebyprompting the user to register the bookmark.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a game system accordingto a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a server device according to thefirst embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a user information table according tothe first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a game history information tableaccording to the first embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a home screen according to the firstembodiment;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operation when the userregisters a game screen provided from a server device as a bookmarkaccording to the first embodiment; and

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a process flow of a server deviceaccording to the first embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One embodiment of the invention will be described in detail below.However, the particular embodiments are not provided to limit theinvention disclosed herein but to illustrate it as examples. Variouschanges and modifications may be made without departing from basic scopeof the invention disclosed herein. It will be apparent to those skilledin the art the all embodiment by means of equivalent replacement may beemployed and shall fall within the protection scope of the inventiondisclosed herein. The position relationships such as top and bottom orleft and right follow the indications in the figures unless otherwiseprovided. Dimensions, sizes and ratios shown in figures are not providedto limit the invention. It should be appreciated that in the foregoingdescription the actual embodiment implemented by the informationprocessor for the game is illustrated for the purpose of aiding in theunderstanding but, as stated above, not limiting the invention.

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram illustrating a game system 10according to a first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the game system 10comprises a server device 100 and a mobile terminal 200. The serverdevice 100 is a computer for the server, which is connected to a network300, e.g., internet or exclusive line. The game system 10 is establishedby that the mobile terminal 200, which is a terminal device connectedwirelessly or wired to the network 300 as with the server device 100,and the server device 100 are set to be communicable with each other. Inthis embodiment, the game system 10 is described as comprising theserver device 100 and the mobile terminal 200, but the invention is notlimited thereto. For example, the game system 10 may be configured to bea cloud computing system. In this case, the user uses a computerprocessing of the game system 10 via the network as a service. Moreover,the game system 10 may be configured to be a system comprising an ASPserver.

The mobile terminal 200 is an information processor having a function tocommunicate with the server device 100 via the network 300. Inparticular, the mobile terminals include but are not limited to a mobilephone, a smartphone, a laptop, a PDA or a tablet PC. The mobile terminal200, though not shown in FIG. 1, is provided with a control unitcomprising CPU and a memory, a communication unit to access to thenetwork 300, a input unit to receive operations from user, e.g., atouchscreen, a display unit to display cards and decks, and a recordingunit to record an access tool to the predetermined URL.

The simple access means may be the bookmark added on the browser, theicon added on the home screen and liking to the shortcut, or the webclip, in order to access to the predetermined URL.

In this embodiment, the mobile terminal 200 is designated as a terminalwhich is used by the user to access the server device 100, but it is notlimited to a portable terminal. The terminals accessible to the serverdevice 100 are also available as the terminal which is used by the userto access the server device 100. For example, a non-portable terminalsuch as desktop PC may be employed.

The configuration of the game system 10 will be described below. Theserver device 100 provides various games including social network gamesto the user. The server device 100 offers the reward to the user whosends the access request when the simple access means to the URLaccessible to the provided game is determined to be registered in themobile terminal 200. The reward may be, for example, a game item, or achance to draw a game item.

In this embodiment, the reward is offered to the user when the simpleaccess means is determined to be registered in the user's terminal, butthe invention is not limited thereto. For example, the reward may beoffered provided that the user adds the icon linking to the shortcut onthe home screen AND adds the bookmark to the favorite list of the webdisplay application such as the browser. In this case, since the usercan start the game more easily from lots of triggers, it can contributeto growth of social network game.

In this embodiment, the reward is offered to the user who has registeredthe simple access means only once, but the invention is not limitedthereto. For example, with detecting daily active users (DAU) andmonthly active users (MAU), the reward may be offered based on thenumber of login attempts. In particular, the reward may be offered tothe user who has registered the simple access means to the top screenwith less login attempts, but not to the user who has registered thesimple access means to the top screen with many login attempts.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the every user who has registered thesimple access means in the mobile terminal 200 gets the reward, but theinvention is not limited thereto. For example, the reward may be offeredonly to the user who registers the simple access means within a weekfrom certain announcement. Of course, the period may be a week or amonth.

The configurations of server device 100 for implementation of the gamesystem 10 as stated above will be described referring to FIG. 2. FIG. 2is a block diagram of the server device 100. As shown in FIG. 2, theserver device 100 is provided with a control unit 120, an input unit150, a storage unit 130 and a communication unit 110.

The control unit 120 is provided with an arithmetic processing unit 121such as a CPU or a MPU, a memory 122 such as RAM, and an imageprocessing unit (not shown). The arithmetic processing unit 121 causesthe various function units to be operated by executing a program storedin the storage unit 130. The program may be stored in the recordingmedium such as CD-ROM, or distributed via the network 300, to beinstalled into the computer. The memory 122 temporarily stores serverprogram, game program, and various data sets required for computationduring the running processes in such programs.

The input unit 150 is configured to receive the operations from themanager of the server device 100, and may be implemented by a keyboard,a mouse, or a touchscreen.

The storage unit 130 is configured by a storage device such as a harddisk, and stores various programs required for running processes in thecontrol unit 120 or various data sets for running such various programs.In particular, the storage unit 130 is preferred to have a userinformation table 131 and a plurality of game history information tables132.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the user information table 131, andFIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the game history information table 132.The user information table 131 stores, as shown in FIG. 3, a user ID, apassword, and a game ID of the game that the user has registered as amember, which are in a correlationship. The game history informationtable 132 stores for each game, as shown in FIG. 4, a user ID, memberregistry date, the number of offering rewards, and the number ofaccesses, of the user who has registered into the specific game as amember, which are in a correlationship.

Returning to FIG. 2, the configuration of the server device 100 will bedescribed more.

The communication unit 110 is configured to connect the server device100 to the network 300. For example, the communication unit 110 isimplemented by a communication device such as a LAN card, an analogmodem or an ISDN modem, and an interface which connects such devices tothe processing unit via a transmission path such as a system bus.

As shown in FIG. 2, the arithmetic processing unit 121 is provided witha URL redirection unit 1211, a determination 1212 and an offering unit1213, as function units.

The URL redirection unit 1211 redirects the URL linking to the simpleaccess means. For example, the URL redirection unit 1211 redirects theURL of the screen to be displayed when the user has sent the accessrequest to the predetermined screen (page) but still not acquired thereward. A pop-up prompting the user to register the simple access meansin the home screen or on the browser is displayed. Therefore, it is ableto determine that the user who sends the access request to theredirected URL has already registered the simple access means.Furthermore, the URL redirection unit 1211 is preferred to redirect tothe different URLs, such as the URL to be registered on the home screenand the URL to be added on the browser.

The redirection may be carried out, for example, by adding an identifiersuch as “#bookmarked” to a tail end of the URL, or by adding thecharacter string different for each user such as hashed value of theuser ID. When the character string different for each user is added, theURL redirection unit 1211 stores the added string in the game historyinformation table 132 of the corresponding user. When the user registersthe simple access means in the mobile terminal 200, the user is capableof registering the URL different from the normal URL with the aid of theURL redirection performed by the URL redirection unit 1211.

The determination unit 1212 determines whether or not the user who hassent the access request is the user who has to be offered the reward. Inparticular, the determination unit 1212 determines whether or not theURL of the access destination includes the predetermined characterstring, thereby determining whether the URL of the access destinationhas been redirected to the URL for the registered simple access means.The determination unit 1212 may determine whether or not the user is auser who has been already offered the reward.

The offering unit 1213 offers the reward to the user of the mobileterminal 200, who has sent the access request from the simple accessmeans. The offering unit 1213 may offer the reward depending on thenumber of simple access means registered in the mobile terminal 200.Moreover, the offering unit 1213 may offer the reward depending on alocation on the mobile terminal 200, at which the user has registeredthe simple access means. In particular, for example, the mobile terminal200 refers to a directory structure in the OS (i.e. storing position ofthe game icon) and sends such directory structure to the server device100. The offering unit 1213 can detect a location at the simple accessmeans has been registered on the basis of the sent directory structure.Alternatively, the registration location of the simple access means maybe detected by notifying the offering unit 1213 of the server device 100of the registration location when the simple access means is registeredusing the program to detect that the simple access means is registered.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the home screen of the mobileterminal. In this embodiment, the mobile terminal 200 comprises aplurality of scrollable screens 201, and a dock 202 which is fixed anddisplayed even after the screen is switched, on its home screen. Theoffering unit 1213 may offer the biggest reward to the user who hasadded the icon linking to the shortcut on the dock 202, and may offerthe less reward to the user who has added the simple access means on thehome screen 201 and the browser. Furthermore, when the home screencomprises a plurality of screens as shown in FIG. 5, a rich reward maybe offered to the user who has added the icon on the specific screen.

The offering unit 1213 updates the number of offering rewards in thegame history information table 132 after the reward is offered.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operation when the userregisters the icon linking to the shortcut to the predetermined URL,which links to the game screen provided from the server device 100, asthe simple access means.

The user, who still has not added the icon, operates the mobile terminal200 to run the browser (refer to FIG. 6(A)). When the browser runs onthe mobile terminal 200, a footer which allows the user to perform touchoperation is displayed, as shown in lower parts of FIGS. 6(A) and 6(B).

The footer has keys of Return 511, Forward 512, Add to Home Screen 513and Switch 514.

The Return 511 is a key having a function to return to the previousbrowser screen. The Forward 512 is a key having a function to movetoward one of browser screens opened previously. The Add to Home Screen513 is a key having a function to register the icon which is associatedwith the currently open URL, icon image (e.g., thumbnail image) and aname of the simple access means (e.g., shortcut) in the mobile terminal200. The Add to Home Screen 513 may register the bookmark on the list ofthe web page display application such as the browser, as a shortcutfunction. The Switch 514 is a key configured to switch between the openscreens.

When the user sends the access request for a platform screen to theserver device 100 from the browser, the arithmetic processing unit 121of the server device 100 displays the platform screen which shows a listof the games on the mobile terminal 200. The user can select thefavorite game from the platform screen. When the user selects the game,the screen displayed on the browser sends the access request for the topscreen of the selected game from the platform screen. The URL, which issent as the access request for the top screen, is“http://www.aaa.bbb.net/12345.”

When the server device 100 receives the access request, thedetermination unit 1212 determines whether or not the user who has sentthe access request is a user who has not acquired the reward inreference to the game history information table 132 related with theselected game to be accessed (arrow 1 of FIG. 6). When the determination1212 determines that the user has been already acquired the reward sincethe number of offering rewards listed on the game history informationtable 132 is 1 or more, the arithmetic processing unit 121 displays thetop screen on the mobile terminal 200 based on the accessed URL of“http://www.aaa.bbb.net/12345” (refer to FIG. 6(A)).

Meanwhile, when the determination unit 1212 determines that the user hasno experience of acquiring a reward since the number of offering rewardslisted on the game history information table 132 is 0, the determinationunit 1212 further confirms the URL corresponding to the access requestto determine whether or not it is the access attempt from the simpleaccess means. In this example, specifically, the determination unit 1212determines whether or not it is the access attempt from the simpleaccess means depending on the predetermined character string(“#bookmarked” in this example) which is included in the URL. In thisexample, since the user accesses not using icon, there is nopredetermined string “#bookmarked” in the URL. Therefore thedetermination unit 1212 determines that it is not the access via theicon, and the URL redirection unit 1211 redirects the URL of the topscreen (arrow 2 of FIG. 6). For example, in FIG. 6, the string of“#bookmarked” is added to the normal URL of the top screen, i.e.,“http://www.aaa.bbb.net/12345” to provide the URL of“http://www.aaa.bbb.net/12345#bookmarked”. The top screen with the URLof “http://www.aaa.bbb.net/12345” and the top screen with the URL of“http://www.aaa.bbb.net/12345#bookmarked” preferably have the samecontents though the URLs are different. The anchor of the characterstring “bookmarked”, which is previously added to a head of the documentdescribing the top screen, can allow the user to jump to the top screenvia the URL with the “#bookmarked”. Moreover, the arithmetic processingunit 121 displays the top screen subjected to URL redirection, andsimultaneously displays a pop-up with a phrase of “Access to XXX moreeasily by adding an icon to the homepage” for the user (refer to FIG.6(B)).

The pop-up announcement has a function the same as the Add to HomeScreen 513. When the user taps the displayed pop-up, the screen isdisplayed, where the user can input the currently open URL(“http://www.aaa.bbb.net/12345#bookmarked”), the icon image and the nameof the shortcut (refer to FIG. 6(C) and arrow 3). When the user decidesthe name of the shortcut, the currently open URL, the icon image and thename of the shortcut are associated with each other, thus the icon 500is added on the home screen of the mobile terminal 200 (refer to FIG.6(D) and arrow 4).

The process when the user accesses to the top screen using the icon 500will be described below. When the user taps the icon 500 newly added tothe home screen for accessing to the top screen, the URL associated withthe linked shortcut opens and jumps to the top screen (refer to FIG.6(E) and arrow 5).

The flow of additional process for the simple access means will bedescribed referring to FIG. 7. The processing steps in the followingflow of the process may be performed in different order or in parallel,and the new steps may be added between the existing steps within a rangewhich does not conflict with the processing. Moreover, the single stepmay be divided into several steps and the several steps may be groupedas a single step since the number of steps is determined as a matter ofconvenience.

The user accesses the mobile terminal 200 to the server device 100 byoperating the mobile terminal 200. When the mobile terminal 200 sendsthe access request for the platform screen, the control unit 120displays the platform screen on the mobile terminal 200. The platformscreen is preferred to be a screen which shows a list of the gamesprovided from the server device 100.

When the user selects an arbitrary game from the game list displayed onthe platform screen by operating the mobile terminal 200, the accessrequest for the top screen is transmitted to the server device 100. Inthe top screen, when the user registers in the selected game as amember, user's record is created as the game history information table132, and the member registry date is stored therein.

When the server device 100 receives the access request for the topscreen (S100), the determination unit 1212 determines whether or not theuser who has sent such an access request is a user who has not acquiredthe reward in reference to the game history information table 132related with the game to be accessed (S200). The number of offeringrewards listed in the game history information table 132 of the user isnot 0, the determination unit 1212 determines that this user has beenalready acquired the reward (S200: YES). In this case, the arithmeticprocessing unit 121 performs no reward offering process, and transmitsthe top screen to the mobile terminal 200 for displaying (S300).However, the reward may be offered not depending on the reward has beenoffered or not, but depending on that the number of offering rewardsbeing less than the predetermined number.

When the number of offering rewards listed on the game historyinformation table 132 of the user who has sent the access request is 0,the determination unit 1212 further determines whether or not thisaccess request is performed using the simple access means (S210). Inparticular, the determination unit 1212 determines whether the URL ofthe access destination is the URL redirected by the URL redirection unit1211 for the registered simple access means (i.e., the URL with theidentifier of “#bookmarked” at its tail end). When the determinationunit 1212 determines that this access request has performed using thesimple access means (S210: YES), the offering unit 1213 conducts thereward offering process (S220). The reward to be offered at this timemay be decided based on a number of the games that the user hasregistered the simple access means. Alternatively, the reward may beoffered based on the location at which the simple access means isregistered (for example, the dock 202 on the home screen, the screen201, browser, etc.). After completion of the reward offering process,the arithmetic processing unit 121 displays the top screen on the mobileterminal 200 (S300).

Meanwhile, the determination unit 1212 determines that the accessrequest is not sent by simple access means (S210: NO), the arithmeticprocessing unit 121 carries out a process for prompting the user toregister the simple access means. In particular, the arithmeticprocessing unit 121 displays the pop-up 501 as shown in FIG. 6(b) on themobile terminal 200. This pop-up may explain what kind of the rewardwill be offered to the user who registers the simple access means in themobile terminal 200. In this case, the URL redirection unit 1211redirects to the URL for shortcut registry, which is made by adding theidentifier of “#bookmarked” to the tail end of the URL of the top screen(S211). After displaying the pop-up, the arithmetic processing unit 121displays the top screen on the mobile terminal 200 (S300). The rewardoffering process in S220 may be performed not only when the mobileterminal 200 sends the access request using the simple access means (inthe example of FIG. 6, when the mobile terminal 200 accesses via theadded icon after completion of the operations of steps (A) through (E)to add the icon), but also when, for example, the URL is redirected inS211 (in the example of FIG. 6, when the operations of steps (B) through(D) are performed during the initial access thereby adding the icon onthe home screen).

As stated above, the determination unit 1212 is able to determinewhether or not the user tries to access using the icon registered in themobile terminal 200 in reference to the predetermined character stringsuch as “#bookmarked” which may be added to the accessed URL. Moreover,the offering unit 1213 is able to offer the reward to the user who hasaccessed using the predetermined icon to motivate the user to registerthe simple access means.

The preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed herein has beendescribed; however, the invention is not limited to this particularembodiment. Various changes and modifications may be made based on thetechnical idea of the invention.

For example, in the aforementioned embodiment, the mobile terminal 200is configured to directly access to the server device 100 via thenetwork 300. However, for example, when the communication system has theweb server, the web server may relay the communication with the mobileterminal 200. It is possible to reduce the security risks by employingthis configuration.

In the aforementioned embodiment, the game system 10 provides the games.However, the invention is not limited thereto. The system may provide,for example, electronic books or various applications.

The URL redirection 1211 may change the character string added to theURL depending on the access date. With this configuration, the trackingis easily carried out for the time point, for example, with largest useraccess attempts. In the aforementioned embodiment, the character stringof “#bookmarked” is added to the URL. However, the invention is notlimited thereto. Other character strings may be available. Furthermore,when the URL is redirected, the redirection is not limited to adding thepredetermined string, but may be replacing with the completely differentURL.

In the aforementioned embodiment, the URL redirection unit 1211 adds thecharacter string of “#bookmarked” to the URL, and set the anchor (suchas the character string of “#bookmarked”) at head of the documentdescribing the top screen. By setting the anchor, the same top screenappears via the URL with the character string of the “#bookmarked”.However, the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the topscreen may appear via the URL with the character string of the“#bookmarked” even if the specific anchor is not set in the documentdescribing the top screen.

In the aforementioned embodiment, the URL redirection unit 1211redirects the URL when the user who has accessed to the top screen isdetermined as the user who has not acquired any reward, or according tothe period after the registration. However, the invention is not limitedthereto. The URL redirection condition can be set arbitrarily. Moreover,the URL redirection unit 1211 may redirect the URL when the useraccesses to the predetermined URL regardless whether or not the user hasnot acquired the reward, and may transmit the redirected URL to theuser's terminal device.

In the aforementioned embodiment, the determination unit 1212 isconfigured to determine as a reward offering condition whether or notthe access request is performed using the simple access means, oralternatively whether or not the number of offering rewards is less thanthe predetermined number. However, the determination unit 1212 is notlimited thereto. For example, the determination unit 1212 may determinewhether or not the user has accessed previously to the redirected URLfor the registered simple access means in reference to the access log ofthe server device 100. When the access log contains no access historyfor this user, it is highly likely that the user has acquired the URLfor the registered simple access means from, for example, a bulletinboard of other sites. Therefore, the reward is not offered by the rewardoffering process to the user having no access history in the access log.Meanwhile, it is highly likely that the user, who accesses to theURL-redirected top screen and has the access history in the access log,has registered the simple access means in the normal top screen. Thusthe reward is offered by the reward offering process.

Furthermore, the determination unit 1212 is also able to determine thenumber of times or frequency that the user, who sends the access requestusing the simple access means, has accessed to the page. In particular,the determination unit 1212 may determine whether or not the user hasaccessed to the top screen via the simple access means at least N times.Alternatively, the determination unit 1212 may determine whether or notthe user accessed for N days in a row. In these determinations, thedetermination unit 1212 can refer to the number of accesses, or date ofaccess to the top screen from the game history information table 132.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   -   10: game system    -   100: server device    -   110: communication unit    -   120: control unit    -   121: arithmetic processing unit    -   1211: URL redirection unit    -   1212: determination unit    -   1213: offering unit    -   130: storage unit    -   131: user information table    -   132: game history information table    -   140: display unit    -   150: input unit    -   200: mobile terminal    -   300: network

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for controlling a server device that iscommunicatively connected, via a communication network, to a terminaldevice operated by a user, the method comprising: the server devicereceiving an access request, via the communication network, from theterminal device operated by the user; the server device redirecting afirst URL to a second URL when the server device receives the accessrequest to the first URL from the terminal device; the server deviceencouraging the user to use the second URL by indicating that a rewardwill be offered to the user for using the second URL, when redirectingthe first URL to the second URL; and the server device offering a rewardto the user when the server device receives the access request to thesecond URL from the terminal device.
 2. The method according to claim 1,wherein the second URL is a URL which adds a predetermined characterstring to the first URL.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein thefirst URL and the second URL access to the same page.
 4. A tangible,non-transitory computer-readable medium or media storingmachine-readable instructions that, when executed by one or moreprocessors, cause the one or more processors to perform operationscomprising: receiving an access request from a terminal device operatedby a user; redirecting a first URL to a second URL when the accessrequest to the first URL is received from the terminal device;encouraging the user to use the second URL by indicating that a rewardwill be offered to the user for using the second URL, when redirectingthe first URL to the second URL; and offering a reward to the user whenthe access request to the second URL is received from the terminaldevice.
 5. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium ormedia according to claim 4, wherein the second URL is a URL which adds apredetermined character string to the first URL.
 6. The tangible,non-transitory computer-readable medium or media according to claim 4,wherein the first URL and the second URL access to the same page.
 7. Aserver device communicatively connected, via a communication network, toa terminal device operated by a user, the server device configured to:receive an access request, via the communication network, from theterminal device operated by the user; redirect a first URL to a secondURL when the access request to the first URL is received from theterminal device; encourage the user to use the second URL by indicatingthat a reward will be offered to the user for using the second URL, whenredirecting the first URL to the second URL; and offer a reward to theuser when the access request to the second URL is received from theterminal device.
 8. The server device according to claim 7, wherein thesecond URL is a URL which adds a predetermined character string to thefirst URL.
 9. The server device according to claim 7, wherein the firstURL and the second URL access to the same page.